The Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at Indiana University Bloomington was awarded the state of Indiana’s Never Again Ambassador Award for its commitment to Holocaust remembrance and education about antisemitism.
Alvin Rosenfeld, professor of Jewish Studies at IU and the institute’s director, said antisemitism is especially prevalent now and did not stop with the end of the Holocaust.
“Most of us who study the Holocaust never thought there would be a need to study post-Holocaust antisemitism,” Rosenfeld said. “We were simply wrong.”
IU President Pamela Whitten accepted the award on behalf of the Institute Jan. 25 during the 25 th Annual State of Indiana Holocaust Remembrance Program.
According to the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, the award is for an individual or organization that has shown a commitment to Holocaust education and creates meaningful spaces for both the memories and lessons of the Holocaust to never be forgotten so that such atrocities never happen again.
“It reinforces our sense of what we’re doing is important, that it needs to continue,” Rosenfeld said. “It’s good that people beyond Bloomington recognize the merit of what we’re doing.”
The institute seeks to shine light on present-day antisemitism through numerous publications, lectures and courses.
The award acts as encouragement for those at the Institute, Rosenfeld said.
“It encourages us to keep at it,” Rosenfeld said. “It’s not easy work, and it’s not happy work, because we’re dealing with dreadful subjects. But anything and everything we can do to help open people’s eyes to the threats of a resurgence in the hatred of Jews, we’ll do.”
